Golf puppet ball projector



Nov. 4, 1952 J MUNRQ 2,616,700

GOLF PUPPET BALL PROJECTOR Filed April 9, 1951 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 INVENTOR.JHMES H. MuA/QO Nov. 4, 1952 J. H. MUNRO I 2,616,700

GOLF PUPPET BALL PROJECTOR Filed April 9, 1951 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 INVENTOR.

JHMEIS' M MUNIQO BY {W%K Patented Nov. 4, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE 2,616,700 GOLF PUPPET BALL PROJECTOR James H. Munro, HermosaBeach, Calif. Application April 9, 19-51, Serial No. 219,957

This invention relates to toys, and has particular reference to a toy inthe form of a mechanical puppet golf player, by means of which theplaying of a game of golf may be simulated.

In my U. S. Patent No. 2,513,198 on Golf Puppet Ball Projector, issuedJune 27, 1950, is disclosed a mechanical puppet golf player which may beoperated to simulatea substantially technically correct golf swing andwhich may be used in playing a game of golf on any suitable surface as,for example, indoors upon a rug or carpet laid out to simulate a golfcourse, or outdoors on a putting green, or other suitable area.

One of the principal objects of my invention is to provide such amechanical puppet golf player, but of improved mechanical structure.

Another object of my invention is to provide novel means, in amechanical puppet golf player, for simulating a substantiallytechnically correct golf swing, including the proper wrist action in theback-swing and follow-through.

Another object of my invention is to provide a mechanical puppet golfplayer having a novel cam and linkage structure for simulating theproper wrist action of the theoretically correct golf swing.

Other objects and advantages of this invention it is believed will bereadily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferredembodiment thereof when read in connection with the accompanyingdrawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a preferred embodiment of myinvention, with the upper portion of the operating rod shown in sectionand axially rotated 90 for clarity of illustration.

' Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation taken substantially on the line 3-3 ofFigure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the linkmemher which is embodied inthe wrist operating assembly.

Figure ,5 is a perspective view of the forked lever embodied therein.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the wrist member.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the cam member for the wrist operatingassembly.

Figures 8-14 are a series of sectional elevations taken substantially onthe line 8-8 of Figure 1, illustrating the action of the wrist operatingassembly during the course of a completeswing.

Referring now to the drawings, the device of Claims. (Cl. 2739-129) thisinvention is shown as including :a @tubular "L operating rod In which issecured at its lower end to a tubular extension ll extending from thesimulated golf player or puppet l2, set screw I3 being provided toprevent disassembly of the rod ID from the extension ll. At the upperend of the rod I0 is a hand grip l0, the rod l0 being sufiiciently longso that the puppet [2 may be rested on the floor and the grip l0 held inthe hand of an operator standing in a substantially upright position.The rod is slotted as at I4 and a mandrel i5 is positioned within therod and carries a pin l6 having a handle II'which operates in the slotI4 (see Figure l). Adjacent the upper end of the rod I9 there isprovided a pin 18 carrying a wheel or pulley I9, upon which is reeved awire or cable 20. One end of the cable 23 is affixed to the mandrel by ascrew as at 2!, and the other end of the cable is similarly affixed asat 22. The mandrel is provided with a longitudinal bore 23 for thereception of one strand of the cable 20.

The puppet I2 is in the form of a figure of a man, including a basemember in the form of a pair of legs 30 and a hip portion 3|, a torso32,

and a head 33. Means are provided for pivotally connecting the torso 32to the hip portion 3 I, and as shown best in Figure 3, these means mayinclude the cylindrical member 35, secured to the torso by means ofstuds 36, and which member is positioned in a cylindrical seat 31provided in the hip portion 3|. The cylindrical member 35 is grooved asat 38 to receive the cable 2 0. I prefer to journal a pair of guiderollers 39 at thelower end of the rod ll! for the cable 23. Thehipportion 3] is provided with a bore 40 in which is received a rod 4|maintained in position by means of a set screw ll. The rod 4| extendsthrough the torso 32 and into a bore in the head v33 ,to which it issecured by means of a set screw 4 5. A hollow extension member 36,preferably integral with the torso, simulates a pair of arms, and thetorso and extension member aresplit along line 41 into two elements 43and A9 for convenience'of manufacture and assembly; The two elements 48and 43 are connected together by meansofthreaded member 50. Thetorso-and cylindrical member are journaled on themed 4! -by means ofaflanged bearing 55 which is secured to the cylindrical member 35 bymeans of set screw 56, the rod extending through the bearing and throughan oversize bore -51 in the upper elenr entAB.

Th torso n ex en ion m mb r A6 are provided w th. a e al .onenin 169 inwhich :is

mo n d the -.W .s ope atin a semb y Both I in the other.

portions of the extension member 46 are provided with a rounded endpiece 60, 6| spaced by a slot 62. A wrist member 63 is mounted on a pin6% for pivotal motion in the slot 62, and a miniature golf club 66 isreleasably secured, by means of set screw 65, to the wrist member.Secured to the rod 41 by means of a set screw 61 is a forked arm 63which is provided with a bore 69 and a slot 56 formed in a planeperpendicular to the axis of the bore (see Figure 5). A link member H(see Figure 4) is provided at one end with a pin 12 carried in theforked portion of the arm 68 for pivotal motion about an axis spacedfrom the axis of the rod M, and at the other end with an aperture 13 forpivotally connecting that end to the wrist member. As shown in Figure 6,the wrist member 63 is provided with a slot M, and an aperture 15 forthe reception of a pin '.'6 which also extends through the aperture 13.It will be noted that the ends of the link member H are curved toprovide clearance for motion in the respective slots '19 and M, the linkmember being generally 8 shaped. Secured, by means of screw members 55and 15, to the lower portion of the extension member 45 within thecentral opening 60 is a cam plate IS in which is formed a cam groove 11.A cam follower 8D is secured to the underside of the link member H, andcooperates with the cam groove to actuate the wrist member 63 uponrotation of the torso 32.

It is contemplated that with the device as above described, there willbe provided a plurality of golf clubs each having a separate pitch sothat, in effect, a full set of golf clubs will be available to theoperator. A ball 8 I, which may be a small sphere of wood or hard rubberor the like, is also utilized.

The operation of the device is as follows: The device is taken by theoperator by the grip [0 and placed on its feet adjacent the ball 8| in aproper position to address the ball. The operating handle H is held inone hand and the grip By sliding the pin 16 back and forth in the slot14 the cable 28 can be made to reciprocate, thus-turning the cylindricalmember 35, and hence also the torso 32 and the arms 46. It will be notedthat these members rotate about the stationary rod 4 l, and that thehead 33, being afiixed to the rod, also remains stationary. This is animpotrant feature of my invention since the position of the head is thusalways maintained in the correct head down position. The turning of thetorso 32 and extension member 66 also causes the cam 11 to move relativeto the follower 80, which in turn causes the wrist member 63, throughthe agency of the link member H, to turn or pivot with respect to theend pieces 60 and 6|, coincident with the rotation of the torso. Asshown clearly in Figures 8-14, means are thus provided whereby thepuppet is caused to perform a theoretically correct golf swing, with thewrists being cocked on the back swing; correct timing so that when thearms and torso face directly forward (see Figure 11) the club is broughtinto line at the moment of impact; and a full follow-through. It will benoted that the cam groove 11 is shaped so that the end faces 90 and 9|thereof act as stop means to prevent Overswinging.

With a device of the character described above, every type of golf shotmay be made. The extent of the back swing, as well as the force of theswing, may be controlled at the will of the operator. Given a loftedclub, such as would be comparable to a sixor seven-iron, one can pitch,or given an unlofted club, such as a putter, one can simply roll theball as in putting. One can thus play over obstacles and hazards andeventually into whatever receptacle is provided for the hole, merely bychanging clubs and using the particular club which is appropriate forthe shot to be made, just as in the actual game of golf. In addition tobeing a source of amusement, the device is educational as Well, since anovice at the game of golf may, by observing the action of the puppet,quickly learn the fundamental of the game, such as keeping the head downand the proper body and wrist action, including the proper timing forthe correct swing.

The particular link and cam means described herein for causingcoincident rotation of the wrist member with the torso and arms is adecided improvement over the pulley and cable means disclosed in theabove mentioned U. S. Patent No. 2,513,198, in that it provides a moredurable and positive-acting structure.

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment of my invention,I do not limit myself to the exact details of the construction setforth, and the invention embraces such changes, modifications andequivalents of the parts and their formation and arrangement as comewithin the purview of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a base member; a torsoportion mounted for rotation on said base member; means for rotatingsaid torso portion; an extension member mounted on said torso portionand adapted to rotate therewith; a wrist member rotatably connected tosaid extension member; a link member operably connected at one end tothe torso portion and at the other end to said wrist member; and a cammember on said extension member and cooperating with said link memberwhereby said wrist member is rotated in timed relation with the rotationof said torso member.

2. In a device of the character described, a base member; a torsoportion mounted for rotation on said base member; means for rotatingsaid torso portion; an extension member mounted on said torso portionand adapted to rotate therewith, said extension member having a centralopening; a wrist member rotatably connected to said extension member; alink member in said opening and pivotally connected at one end to thetorso portion and at the other end to the wrist member; a cam followermounted on said link member; and a cam secured to said extension memberwithin said central opening, said cam cooperating with said cam followerand link member to cause rotation of said wrist member coincident withthe rotation of said torso member.

3. In a device of the character described, a base member; a rodextending from said base member; a torso journaled on said rod abovesaid base member; means for rotating said torso; an extension membermounted on said torso and adapted to rotate therewith, said extensionmember having a central opening; a wrist member rotatably carried onsaid extension member; a link member in said central opening, one end ofsaid link member being connected to said torso for pivotal motion aboutan axis spaced from the axis of saidrod, and the other end of said linkmember being pivotally connected to the wrist member; a cam followermounted on said link member;

and a cam secured to said extension member within said central opening,said cam cooperating with said cam follower and link member to causerotation of said wrist member coincident with the rotation of said torsomember.

4. In a device of the character described, a base member; a rodextending from said base member; a torso journaled on said rod abovesaid base member; means for rotating said torso; a simulated human headrigidly mounted on said rod above said torso; an extension membermounted on said torso portion and adapted to rotate therewith; a wristmember rotatably connected to said extension member; a link memberoperably connected at one end to the torso portion and at the other endto said wrist member; and a cam member on said extension member andcooperating with said link member whereby said wrist member is rotatedin timed relation with the rotation of said torso member.

5. In a device of the character described, a, base member; a rodextending from said base member; a torso journaled on said rod abovesaid base member; means for rotating said torso; an extension membermounted on said torso and adapted to rotate therewith, said extensionmem- 6 her having a central opening; an arm rigidly connected to saidrod in said central opening; a wrist member rotatably carried on saidextension member; a link member in said central opening, one end of saidlink member being connected to said arm for pivotal motion about an axisspaced from the axis of said rod, and the other end of said link memberbeing pivotally connected to the wrist member; a cam follower mounted onsaid link member; and a cam secured to said extension member within saidcentral opening, said cam cooperating with said cam follower and linkmember to cause rotation of UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 251,803,134 Renn Apr. 28, 1931 2,513,198 Munro June 2'7, 1950

